Unplug Reboot Revitalize …

1. Digital Detox: Being mindful about the need for digital detoxification in today’s time
Unplug Reboot Revitalize …
Connectivity permeates every aspect of our lives, we are plugged in to the virtual world
24*7 via digital devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops and other digital mediums. To slow
down the rapid spread of Covid-19 pandemic the world has moved to work from home,
increased online meetings, online learning and online time with family, friends and shopping
online. Digital engagement rate has accelerated way beyond our normal standards before
COVID-19, which nonetheless was growing fast.
This calls for serious rational thinking and study about the impact of increased digital
influence on the brain and overall health of individuals. Scientific global research and
studies suggest that the usage of high digital media impacts cognitive development, lowers
attention span and causes insomnia. Some interesting articles that provide valuable insight
are Screen Time and Brain and Staying focussed in the era of digital distractions from
Harvard Medical School Research and How Online Learning can affect student health, the
John Hopkins News-letter.
Unplugging on a regular basis is an absolute necessity to maintain a healthy balance
between IRL “in real life” activities and the digital world. A digital detox is to disconnect
to reconnect, it is not just about disconnecting from digital devices but more about
adopting a slower, more conscious, energised and mindful approach to life.
Simple approaches that can be embraced for a digital detoxification:
Unplug: Taking conscious breaks starting with of 5mins of
unplugging every half an hour and building it up to 15mins every
hour from laptops, smartphones or tablets while working from
home or office. Having a well-planned schedule of breaks for
children from their time spend on the digital platforms.
Avoid using multiple screens at a time: While working avoid multiple open screens
and social media tabs which is distracting, slows down concentration, focus and builds up
stress. Using single screens to finish work on time and limit digital interaction.
Spring cleaning social media accounts: keeping active friends and following groups
which have a meaning, cleaning everything else which induces just mindless browsing.

2. Avoid setting up frequent push notifications: "If you’re allowing yourself to get
interrupted five times in a half an hour, you’re never actually focused in that time," says
Jesse Fox, PhD, head of Ohio State University’s Virtual Environment, Communication
Technology, and Online Research (VECTOR) Lab. Easy fix to this is to turn off as many
notifications as one can manage to live without. Using the Down Time feature of phones
to turn off all the social media notifications, 1 hour before going to bed to 1 hour after
waking up.
Putting away your phone: Keeping your phone away during
meals, evening walks and while at the gym, providing a break for
the brain from digital influence. Seeking opportunities face to face
social interactions and experiences with family and friends once
restrictions ease up.
Changing the display settings: One reason the smartphones devices are so tempting is
that they’re vibrant. Change phone settings to grey scale or low display resolution and
night mode to avoid triggers of eyes following the device every minute even while busy in
work or other activities.
Maintaining tech free sleeping zone: Leave smartphones outside the bedroom at
night, stop using it as an alarm
clock, this helps to avoid
scrolling through as soon as
one wakes up in the morning.
Investing in an alarm clock is a
good idea. Avoid TV’s and
workspace inside bedrooms.
Limit use of blue light-emitting
screens before bedtime so sleeping patterns are not disrupted, which many scientific
researches have spoken about.
Rediscover Reading: Consider getting your daily morning news from
a newspaper as was the norm few years back, reducing TV viewing
time or browsing a phone for longer durations.
Digital Fasting: Making this a routine in life - switching off
from all medium of digital connections for a day. Doing yoga
and meditations, spending
time with family, playing
games, time with pets,
watching movies with family,
relaxing in open spaces like
gardens, doing some outdoor
activity in the back or front yard of homes, taking brief walks
in fresh air, experiencing nature in any form one can.
Taking genuine break from the digital world ensures the wellbeing of self,
family and friends.
Sushmita Kumar
Retail Professional & Humanitarian
Global Goodwill Ambassador